Lowndes family practice doctor faces charges after turning herself in

Documents from the Georgia Composite Medical Board tell a chilling story of the family practice doctor, Marian Antoinette Patterson. (Source: WALB)

Patterson's license to practice was suspended last month, due to appearing to be "under the influence while at the practice" on more than one occasion. She has since sought help. (Source: WALB)

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk (Source: WALB)

LOWNDES CO., GA (WALB) -

A Lowndes County Doctor is facing charges of terroristic threats and false imprisonment, accused of throwing water bottles and hammers and threatening to cut her employees throats.

Dr. Marian Antoinette Patterson turned herself into the county jail just after 4 p.m. on Friday.

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said this is an extremely unfortunate situation.

Paulk has known Patterson for quite a while and said he never expected this, but knows life situations can sometimes get the best of a person.

"It all goes back to emotional and possibly some abuse problems that might have brought this on," said Paulk.

Documents from the Georgia Composite Medical Board tell a chilling story of the family practice doctor, Marian Antoinette Patterson.

It's a story laced with threats to her clients saying she would slit their throats, down to cutting off an employees head, and telling their children about the act.

"She's charged with three counts of terroristic threats and false imprisonment and it all happened in her office, it's just a bad situation," said Paulk.

The date these incidents occurred are stamped February 21, 2018, but Paulk said he believes Patterson's problems started long before that.

"It's unfortunate, there's some factors in her life that brought about some emotional problems I feel like," Paulk said.

Patterson's license to practice was suspended last month, due to appearing to be "under the influence while at the practice" on more than one occasion. She has since sought help.

"I hope this is something she can put behind her, because she has a lot of patients, a lot of people that trust her as their doctor, and it's just one of those things that I hope she can work through," said Paulk.

How things will play out with Dr. Patterson's family practice is now up to the medical board.

"I would hope that she could come back to the good doctor she was. I've known her for a long, long time and she's done a lot of good for people in this county," Paulk said.

It is unclear at this point whether the practice is operating under a subcontracted doctor or if it is closed completely. When WALB went to the office Friday, the lot was empty and our calls went unanswered.